SURVIVING BABY’S FIRST YEAR can be challenging; however, there are several tips for first-time moms to follow.  When I was pregnant (ahem, while ago), I wish I had had more tips/help/support than what I did.  I felt alone, unsure, and quite nervous.

Disclosure: I have been compensated to share this post. The opinions on this blog are my own.

These tips come from an experienced mom; other then me:

Being a first-time mom can be overwhelming, especially the first year! From post-partum recovery, adjusting to a new sleep schedule (or lack thereof!) to learning to recognize your baby’s cries and wants, the first year is a struggle for even the strongest of women.  Should you choose to breastfeed, it might even be a struggle to get the baby to latch on!  My daughter and I struggled for the first two weeks, and just when I thought I’d give up we had success.

To help make baby’s first year a memorable one for you and baby, these tips will get you through the first milestones with ease:

Take a Postnatal Vitamin
Most new moms walk around in a state of exhaustion. Eating well can be tough when caring for a newborn, so taking a postnatal vitamin can fill in any nutritional gaps and help give you and baby what you need when nursing. First Response Prenatal & Postnatal Gummy Multivitamins are a go-to. They come in an easy to take gummy format – perfect for pregnancy and beyond to provide calcium, and other essential nutrients, like B vitamins and folate.

Recognize and Treat a Gassy Tummy
Babies can be quite gassy, passing gas more than 20 times a day! With plenty of opportunity to swallow air whenever they feed, or suck on a pacifier and cry, it can be challenging to prevent gas buildup. But keeping the baby’s head higher than its stomach when feeding, and burping them often can help minimize it. Using a slow flow nipple if bottle feeding or working it out through a gentle massage also works, but in a pinch, try Ovol Drops. They provide gentle and fast relief of colic, bloating or gas by helping to break up gas bubbles that causes the discomfort. You should only use Ovol Drops on the advice of a doctor.

Baby’s first tooth? Ensure a good sleep for you and baby.
As early as 3-months, babies can begin teething, causing discomfort and disrupted sleep for both mom and baby. A trick I swear by is Baby Orajel Homeopathic Teething Gel. With the soothing power of Chamomile, this teething gel offers safe, effective and naturally-derived medicinal ingredients for your baby to treat you both to a full night’s rest.

Give new moms the support they need
Being exhausted and a teething or gassy baby are all things new moms struggle with but don’t mind admitting to or talking about, but what about those unspoken issues that you’d rather keep to yourself, things like, um, postpartum hemorrhoids?

Did you know that around 25 per cent of women; who develop hemorrhoids after giving birth, still have them at six months postpartum[1]? Although it may be embarrassing, that doesn’t mean that you should suffer in silence since there are things you can do to help you relieve the symptoms.

TIP: Try applying an ice pack (with a soft covering) to the affected area several times a day or soak your bottom for 10 to 15 minutes in a warm and relaxing bath to decrease swelling and discomfort. You can also try an over-the-counter medication such as Anusol Plus* ointment or suppositories to soothe and ease the burning sensation, and help reduce the swelling of hemorrhoid tissue. Anusol Plus* even has an anesthetic to help provide that extra pain relief over other over-the-counter treatments. It’s important to note that you should always consult your doctor or pharmacist before using Anusol products. Moms must unite, so next time you meet a new mom, don’t be afraid to have those real conversations and share some of these tips – I’m sure they’ll thank you for it.

Since I had my baby (ok, ok, 19 years ago), I have always tried to share tips/suggestions to new moms … as long as they were receptive.  To help make baby’s first year a little less stressful, I recommend taking everything in stride.  It’s ok to let go; a little, of everything (responsibilities, laundry, cooking, etc) because this moment in your life is special; especially if it’s your first.  You should enjoy every single moment.  If you need to order in dinner then so be it.  You might want to hire someone to clean for you; perhaps you have family or friends that will volunteer to help?  Whatever you have to do to make it easier for you is perfectly fine.  Don’t feel like you have to do it all because you don’t!  Your job right now is to take care of yourself (healing after childbirth) and doing everything for your baby.  This mom and baby time is very important; it’s bonding time. Take this time for you.  You deserve it.  Your baby deserves it.  Congratulations mama!

*Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before use

Gone are the days of shoving embarrassing holiday photos in a drawer never to see them again.  I know it’s hard to believe but it’s true! Whether its Instagram, Facebook or everything in between, you can’t hide from an onslaught of holiday photos. I bet you’re thinking – so, what’s the secret to selfie success? It’s the prep you do even before the presents are wrapped and the stockings are hung by the chimney with care…!

Disclosure: I have been compensated to share this post. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Don’t let a stain spoil the occasion
Get the kids to pick out their holiday outfits well before the festivities begin. Truthfully, everyone should do this just in case!  Nobody likes to find a stain on their favourite outfit, or worse, notice it once a photo has been taken. Have them check for stains and spills and use Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean 3-in-1 Power Paks to get the job done. OxiClean stain fighters help to remove stains, plus the formula freshens and deodorizes with the freshness of Arm & Hammer Baking Soda.  Our household has been fighting our stains with Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean 3-in-1 Power Paks for the past 60 loads (or so) and we’re very happy with the results.

Keep up the good smile
Maintaining good oral health shouldn’t be reserved for the holidays. However, if you need to brush up (pun intended) on your smile, I suggest switching to the Arm & Hammer Spinbrush Sonic Pro Pulse Brush. Can you believe that its brush removes two times more plaque than the regular, manual brush? That’s because its head spins around as you brush to reach back corners. When paired with Arm & Hammer Truly Radiant Bright & Strong toothpaste, you’ve got a winning combo to strengthen and clean.  This way you can smile your best for that selfie, teeth showing!

Cut down on prep time
Beauty prep, that is. If you’re like me, that fabulous blow out only lasts a day before you need to rinse and repeat. Until now. Dry shampoo is the latest trick up my sleeve. I love Batiste Dry Shampoo — it instantly refreshes hair between washes by absorbing excess oil from the roots and leaving hair looking and smelling clean and fresh. Now I no longer stress when I’m running behind schedule and don’t have time for a full wash or styling session before heading out to visit the in-laws. Batiste Beautiful Brunette dry shampoo plus a hint of colour compliments medium, brunette and auburn hair tones.  Perfectly genius!  In fact, my daughter and I both like to use Batiste Dry Shampoo.  We both have extra long hair so cutting down on hair washings is actually essential because the natural oils and moisture will; otherwise, dry out.

I’m not really a selfie-phenom but taking the perfect selfie seems to be the only thing that is important in my daughter’s world.  My daughter; and her friends, strive to “show off” their better side (whichever side that is) and then post it on social media for the world to see … and ‘like’.  Looking good makes up a large part of that success so I proudly give her the tools to do so.